I have been meaning to enter the world of the Winston Family since the delightful episodes on Beard Science from Heaving Bosoms Podcast. From this first book the series is just as delightful as advertised.

Featuring tropes of "mistaken identity," "enemies to lovers" and a variation of "second chance romance" this small town romance is gently spicy fun from start to finish. The challenge of a first book in a series is to get all the needed backstory, supporting characters, and world building done while also having a plot for the main pairing. Reid manages to completely immerse the reader in this world, make you feel like you know all the players and start a subplot with a little crime thriller vibe without unwieldy exposition. While these is some suspension reality needed as with all fiction, the character arcs and HEAs happen in a fairly normal fashion. No one has to do a complete personality reversal or 100% give up their dreams for love...almost like people manage IRL (as the youth say).

I am already itching to get into the rest of this series, and it's sister series- Knitting in the City.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advance copy of this book. It is not new to me but I'm thrilled that it was picked up.

I’ve read this book so many times and love it just as much. Still want to be sexy Gandalf for Halloween. Still want to mack on the wrong twin to the sound of banjos. Still want to binge the entire series again.

I just love the Winsons and getting republished was the perfect reason to kick off a reread. I love the audio. I love the balance of steam and character development and the world and the longing in this book. It's just such a fun read with so much heart. I am a Reider for life.

My ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has been on my TBR list for ages and was excited to see the deluxe edition offered as an ARC. This author did a fantastic job of hooking my interest in the first chapter and keeping the pages turning quickly throughout the entire book. This had the romance aspect from the beginning but also had some mysterious/risky scenarios for the main characters to overcome which drove the plot along as well. Can’t wait to read the other books about the other 6 Winston siblings.

I absolutely adore Penny Reid and have read this more time than I can count but it’s still my favorite series of hers and I can’t wait to have this on my trophy shelf!

Jessica James is from a small town in Tennessee and she dreams of the world. She’s currently a teacher but she wants to travel the world and explore. She’s grown up admiring the five Winston brothers and has always had the hots for Beau Winston.

At a school Halloween festival, she gets hot and heavy with who she thinks is Beau but ends up being his twin brother Duane. Duane has always had the hots for Jessica and is determined to win her over. An outlaw biker club, some definite spice, and five amazing brothers grace the pages as Duane and Jessica get to know each other and try to find a way to make their feelings work.

This book was so cute and I cannot wait to read the next installment and get to know another Winston brothers. I did get a little annoyed with Jessica at times. I know she has wanderlust on the brain but girl get it together 🤣. Truth or Beard is now available this week!

Thank you to #Netgalley, @sourcebookscasa and author Penny Reid for the opportunity to read this ARC!

What an outstanding romance! Jessica James has had a crush on hottie Beau Winston for years. When she’s the recipient of a very hot kiss that comes with the confession that he’s has feelings for her, she’s thrilled.

That is, until she realizes that the man kissing her is Duane, Beau’s twin brother. She and Duane have never gotten along, she can’t stand the sight of him and vice versa.

Jessica is confused, she’s being romanced by the wrong man! Or not, as it turns out. Duane surprises her by being thoughtful and caring, and their relationship takes off until Jessica confesses her long term plan to travel. Duane is a homebody with a business, family, and friends - how could he leave all that behind? Can they resolve that issue and stay together?

I loved the other characters in the book too, they’re amusing and well written. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a delightful read for fans of lighthearted, humorous romance, particularly those who enjoy the thrill of childhood enemies-to-lovers stories, small-town settings, and swoon-worthy, steamy relationships.

2.5⭐, 2.5🌶️

Sooooo, if you don't like reading negative reviews I'll say this - this book was not for me, and I'm gonna blame that on not liking the narrators and the southern twang the characters had. (I did however love Joy Nash's narration for the Christmas Notch series, so it was definitely the accent issue for this specific book)

Now, did the accents screw with the rest of the book for me? Maybe? But did I not really like either MC or the general romance plot otherwise - also yes. I could not get on board with Jessica having a years old infatuation with Beau to have the randomest hook up with Duane, to instantly simping on Duane and not caring about Beau at all. The good-girl vibes she was giving off were too much (again I think the twangy country girl accent exacerbated my annoyance of this) and I just could not get past it.

ALSO - we talked about the status of D's circumcised you know what. too. many. times. like lordy.

What did I like about this book? The romantic suspense of the motorcycle club. Its all I was really invested in.

All I can hope is that if this book just got traditionally published maybeeee the audiobook will get a revamp?

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for a eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As the start of one of my favorite series of all time, I have read this book many times. The first time almost 9 years ago. I remember loving it for being such a wonderful change from the books I normally read. The quirky characters and humor just pulled me in to a world that I loved. She set the stage for me to fall in love with the whole Winston family, well, except one. You know the one.

Duane and Jessica are such an interesting pair. And it’s so fun to learn all the ways that Duane has been admiring Jessica and she never knew. She always had a thing for his twin. Well, her eyes are opened in this book and these two have all kinds of chemistry and unmatched banter.

This is such a wonderful introduction to all things Winston and I cannot recommend it enough.

I’m an absolutely one with this book.

It follows Jessica, who thinks she in love with Beau, but after a case of mistaken identity, with Beau’s identical twin Duane, she finds her self thinking she may have been into the wrong brother. 😏 Jessica and Duane give all the feels in this “hate” to love romance, and the intro to the Winston brothers series.

Truth or Beard is the first story in Penny Reid’s popular Winston Brothers series set in fictional Green Valley, Tennessee. It is a sweet story which contains some sex scenes. The Winston Brothers series is an offshoot of the Knitting in the City series, and Beauty and the Mustache is the bridge book. In Beauty and the Mustache, Ashley Winston returns to her hometown of Green Valley, Tennessee to visit her dying mother.

23-year-old Jessica James is a high school math teacher who is biding her time before she can fulfill her dreams of traveling abroad. She is the niece of Sheriff James and his wife, who adopted her as an infant and lovingly raised her alongside their son, Jackson. Jessica has always been infatuated with happy-go-lucky and handsome Beau Winston, but he has consistently ignored her. She can’t stand his identical twin, Duane, who is broody and reserved.

25-year-old Duane Winston has had a crush on Jessica James for as long as he can remember, but she doesn’t like him and prefers his sunshine twin instead. Beau knows about Duane’s crush, so he has always ignored Jessica, hoping that she will switch her affections to Duane. Beau and Duane work with their older brother, Cletus, at the Winston Brothers Auto Shop.

On Halloween Jessica wears a sexy Gandolfi costume to the Community Center’s music jam session and party, hoping to catch Beau. When they share a wonderful kiss backstage, she is thrilled to have finally gotten her man. Until she realizes that she actually kissed Duane, his identical twin, who she dislikes. Jessica has to wrap her head around her mistaken impression of Duane, and the fact that he actually likes her.
As Jessica and Duane begin their romance and get to really know each other, they discover that they have different life goals. They have to figure out how to mesh their goals in order to find their happily ever after. Additionally, Duane has some family drama going on with the auto shop and a local motorcycle gang.

Truth or Beard is a sweet small-town romance with characters who speak with an authentic Southern dialect. There are references to parental neglect and abuse and a motorcycle gang. There are seven Winston siblings, including Duane, but they are easy to keep straight. The bond between Duane and his twin, Beau, is especially sweet, and readers will enjoy their dynamic. Duane’s older brother and colleague, Cletus, is one of the most memorable fictional characters ever created. It’s rare to read a romance where the heroine has a STEM career and is well-adjusted. Truth or Beard is the story that made me a fan of this author, and I highly recommend it to romance fans.

I previously purchased the ebook and paperback when it was published by SmartyPants Romance. I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) e-book from NetGalley and SourceBooks-Casablanca for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Penny Reid this book is the perfect book for world building, you introduced us to this small town, and the people like the Winston family and all the side line characters. We adore Jessica and Duane!!! From their first encounter to the end scene! So much love and banter and silliness in the best way! Thank you for a great book and we can not wait for the rest of the series new covers!!

I love the Winston Brothers series! I read these for the first time such a long time ago that I don’t have reviews for them on my current GR / SG accounts 😆

💚 It’s such a delight to be back in Green Valley, and this new edition is amazing! I love all the new illustrations, they really do complement the story! 💖

What a funny interesting romance book with real relatable characters. Who doesn’t love a romance book with identical twins - MALE. Loved the relationship and growth between Jess as Duane. So realistic the banter and bickering. Writing style is awesome. Fell in love with this author in her knitting series. And this book did not disappoint . Can’t wait for next one.

This is such a great start to one of my favorite series! (Or you can take it back a step and read Beauty and the Mustache if you want to know more background!)

This is a story about mistaken identity and long term pining, about a man who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go after it, about a woman who knows what she wants and it’s not staying in her hometown, living a quiet little life. It’s also, and most importantly for me, a story about family. About coming together, about the importance of letting those you love help you carry you load when things are hard.

In a world of You Up? texts, the Winston Brothers are old fashioned gentlemen who woo their ladies, who love hard and freely, who aren’t afraid to stand up and do the right thing. The series follows these remarkable bearded brothers as they grieve the loss of their mother, deal with the ramifications of their evil father, face off with a dangerous biker gang, and, of course, fall in love.

The author’s writing is at once lyrical and sharp, full of prose but also whip smart language that will have you re-reading to take it all in. I have laughed with them, and cried with them, and cheered them on over the years. This is truly one of my favorite fictional worlds, and I’m so so excited to see these characters that have become friends out in the world for all to enjoy!

Oh, my word.

Does Penny Reid give a whole new definition to enemies to lovers?
From the very start, she captures perfectly the steaminess between Jessica and Duane (who she thought was his twin brother Beau) to the intense "hate" between them. Turns out, Jessica, who has crushed on Beau, was making out with Duane. He's arrogant, has an on and off again girlfriend, he mocks Jessica at every turn, but has a massive thing for her. He just covers up his fascination with Jessica by being kind of mean. That doesn't stop him from taking his shot the very minute he has his chance and its the biggest, steamiest eye opener for Jessica. Turns out...she likes bossy Duane.
Recommend. Cuz, hot, funny, enemies to lovers done right to a perfect soundtrack in Jessica's head.

this was a fun read! this was my first by penny and I'm excited to read about the whole Winston clan!

Gosh.
This book is good now just like it was years ago when I first read it. It was love at first read with Jessica and Duane. Jessica is such a wholesome, strong, funny and brave character. I love how she stays true to herself throughout the story and ends up following her dreams. Duane is such a gentleman and I will always have a soft spot for he fell first trope. It's always so sweet. I love how supportive of Jess he is.
And this is something that brought me joy and comfort again to read about and that's the Winston family. I love their dynamic so much. I wish they were real people. Although they feel real honestly.

"Truth or Beard" is now the fourth book I've read by Penny Reid. Unfortunately, it did not become a favorite for me, but I still will continue on with my Reid journey. I really liked when we were first introduced to Duane. Jessica and Duane's reunion was pretty hot and filled with plenty of angst. The events that happened afterwards rubbed me the wrong way. Firstly, I couldn't really get down with Jessica messing with her cousin's ex-fling. It was pretty odd to me. It was also horrible that he used her cousin to try to see if he could make Jessica jealous by making out with said cousin in front of her and then proceeded to shoot his shot again like 15 mins later.

Despite this rough beginning I was convinced that Duane really did like Jessica. I could tell that he wanted to eventually marry this woman if he got the chance to do so. It was a bit of a slow burn when it came to them being physical. He wanted to make sure she knew that he was in this for some forever business. I didn't care too much for the whole situation surrounding the shady bikers (that's like majority of the book). I can definitely see the charm in this story as I did like the Winston brothers in general. However, I am undecided if I will read the next books in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this arc!